Trampolines are widely known and used for a variety of recreational and athletic purposes. Recreational and “backyard” use of trampolines is very popular. Parents often buy a trampoline so that their children can enjoy hours of diversion playing and “jumping” on the trampoline.
As a result of careless use of trampolines and poorly designed/manufactured systems, personal injury has occurred. Such injuries have resulted from a person jumping too close to the edge of the trampoline surface such that the person would either (1) fall off of the trampoline or would (2) strike the frame, a tree, or another hard surface positioned proximate the trampoline's boundary. Of course, such injuries are a grave concern for many trampoline manufacturers and trampoline enthusiasts.
In order to prevent these types of injuries, trampolines have recently been sold and produced having a flexible fence or enclosure that surrounds the perimeter of the trampoline's rebounding surface. One example of this type of trampoline is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,845 (which will be referred to herein as the “'845 patent” and is expressly incorporated herein by reference). In these types of trampolines, any person that jumps on the trampoline will be maintained on the interior of the trampoline. Thus, when the child approaches the edge of the trampoline's rebounding mat, the enclosure will prevent the child from falling off the trampoline. Likewise, because the enclosure is made of a flexible material (such as netting, mesh, etc.), the enclosure will also prevent the child from harmfully impacting the trampoline's frame or other hard surfaces. In this manner, the enclosure will greatly increase the safety of the trampoline.
Furthermore, the trampoline with the enclosure allows children to play a variety of different games using the enclosure and other equipment (such as balls, etc.). In fact, the '845 patent teaches a variety of games that may be played by children using the trampoline and the enclosure. Unfortunately, many of the games listed in the '845 patent are difficult to play and are not interesting to older children/teenagers. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for various trampoline games that interest older children and will include, for example, sports and sporting events.
Moreover, one disadvantage of trampolines is that they can take up large areas of space. Some sports and recreational activities, on the other hand, often require large, open spaces (such as fields, etc.) in order to played properly. People often cannot play or practice sports in the same area as the trampoline for fear that the trampoline will interfere with the game.
In addition, trampoline manufacturers recommend that only one person jump at a time on the rebounding mat. Often while one person jumps, others must wait their turn. It would be a significant advancement in the art to provide a new type of trampoline which permits a variety of other sports and recreational activities to be practiced in the same area while the trampoline is in use. Such a device is disclosed herein.